Millsap leads Jazz over Clippers 111-98

Oct 31, 2009 - 3:59 AM
By DOUG ALDEN
AP Sports Writer

SALT LAKE CITY(AP) -- Paul Millsap scored 17 of his 23 of his
points in the second half, and the Utah Jazz used a 15-0 run
spanning the third and fourth quarters to beat the Los Angeles
Clippers, 111-98 on Friday night.

Carlos Boozer had 20 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists, and
Deron Williams finished with 21 points and nine assists for
Utah, which held the Clippers to 38 points in the second half.

Ronnie Brewer added 17 points as the Jazz avoided their first
0-2 start since 2002.

The Jazz outrebounded the Clippers 48-35, with Millsap pulling
down seven of his nine boards in the second half as Utah
overcame a sluggish start in its home opener despite having only
10 available players because of injuries.

The Jazz were sloppy through the first half and much of the
third quarter, before pulling together late in the period and
running away from there.

Utah scored five straight points to pull within 84-83 at the end
of the third, then opened the fourth on a 10-0 run. Millsap hit
a jumper, then drew a foul on the next possession and made both
free throws.

Brewer then took over with a layup, followed by a steal that he
took all the way to the other end for a dunk to put the Jazz up
91-84 with 10:23 left in the game.

The Clippers went without a field goal in the fourth quarter
until Al Thornton's layup on a three-point play with 6:26 left
in the game cut it to 95-90.

The Jazz scored the next six after a timeout, then Millsap
snuffed a layup attempt by Davis with 3:55 left. He added a
jumper in the lane to put Utah up 106-92 with 3:30 to go.

The Jazz were handcuffed with fouls in the first half and played
soft defense, allowing the Clippers to tie it at 60 on Gordon's
three-point play with a second remaining in the second period.

Utah stayed out of foul trouble early in the third, but the
defense wasn't any better for the first few minutes. Davis took
a steal in for a layup, then got another layup off an inbounds
play during a 10-4 run that put the Clippers up 80-74 with about
three minutes left in the period. Boozer was several feet off
with an airball during Utah's dry spell, which got many boos
from the home fans.

The Jazz recovered in the final few minutes of the quarter,
drawing within 84-83 on Millsap's three-point play with 1.2
seconds left.

Notes: C Mehmet Okur sat out the game with a sprained ankle.
Kyrylo Fesenko substituted and scored 10 for the Jazz. ... The
Mormon Tabernacle Choir sang a stirring rendition of the
national anthem before the game. ... The Jazz exercised their
third-year option on center Kosta Koufos, their 2008 first-round
draft pick. ... The Clippers are 1-35 at EnergySolutionsArena,
originally known as the Delta Center.